


Merry Christmas, Giles

by GhostDetective



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Budding Love, Christmas, F/M, Older Man/Younger Woman, Requited Unrequited Love, Romance, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 09:51:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16910703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostDetective/pseuds/GhostDetective
Summary: Christmas had arrived at the Slayer Organisation. Wreaths hung on doorways and trees stood in every room, covered in tinsel, baubles and lights in every colour, and topped with an angel. A fire roared in the grate of the main room and the slayers who had not gone home for Christmas were playing games in front of it. Buffy watched them proudly, thinking how far they had come in the past few years. Unbeknownst to her, they were about to get a visit from a few old friends.





	Merry Christmas, Giles

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again, 
> 
> The countdown to Christmas has started and I will be posting a few Christmassy fics in the run up to the big day and I could think of no better place to start than with a short story featuring our favourite Slayer/Watcher pairing. :D 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the fic and have a lovely festive season! 
> 
> P.S. If you've never tried bacon and maple flavoured Christmas tree-shaped pretzels, and you like that sort of thing, then I can highly recommend them.

Christmas had arrived at the Slayer Organisation. Wreaths hung on doorways and trees stood in every room, covered in tinsel, baubles and lights in every colour, and topped with an angel. A fire roared in the grate of the main room and the slayers who had not gone home for Christmas were playing games in front of it. Buffy watched them proudly, thinking how far they had come in the past few years. Unbeknownst to her, they were about to get a visit from a few old friends. 

There was a knock at the door. Xander, who was sitting nearest, got up to answer it. Buffy was thinking about next year’s training, when she heard Xander’s voice.  
“Happy Hanukkah, Willow!”  
Buffy looked around in time to see Willow come in, followed by Kennedy.  
“Willow!” Buffy ran towards her friend and threw her arms around her.  
“Hi, Buffy.” Willow hugged back.  
“It’s so good to see you.”  
“It’s good to see you too.”  
They broke apart.  
“Hey, Kennedy.” Buffy hugged her as well. “When did you get here?”  
“We landed about an hour ago.” Kennedy replied.  
“Would you like some mulled wine?” Xander asked, reappearing from around the door.  
“Yes please.” They replied. Just as Xander went into the kitchen, there was another knock at the door. Buffy went to answer it and her heart stood still. Standing in the doorway was the one whom she had thought of every day since they’d parted.  
“Hello, Buffy.”  
“Hello, Giles.”  
Buffy stared at him, not quite believing that he was there. He smiled.  
“Can I come in?”  
“Oh, of course.”  
Buffy stepped aside and Giles crossed the threshold. Once Buffy had closed the door, he pulled her into a warm embrace, which Buffy returned, feeling a flood of emotion washing over her. 

Buffy had worked with Giles for 10 years now, and she had always liked him on a personal level, but it was only during their separation, when Buffy had thought a lot about him, that it had properly hit her that, had he been 25-30 years younger, around her sort of age, she would seriously consider him. He wasn’t her type, she told herself, he was just that little bit too old to be her type, but if he were nearer her age, then she might well have been tempted. It was a strange feeling. Then again, if she had to rationalise why he wasn’t her type to that extent, was she just in denial? 

She wouldn’t consider him, though. He was her Watcher, he’d seen her grow up. It wasn’t quite the same as knowing her from birth, but, given her age and his position of power when they met, it would probably still raise a few eyebrows. Not least from the community of fellow Slayers and Watchers. 

They broke apart and Buffy felt the loss immediately. Giles was still watching her.  
“Hey, G-man, want some mulled wine?” Xander appeared at the doorway and Giles averted his eyes.  
“Thank you, Xander, that would be most kind.”  
Xander went back into the kitchen and Giles reluctantly followed, Buffy a few steps behind.  
“Giles! Happy Holidays!”  
“Hello, Willow.”  
They embraced and Giles went to greet Kennedy. Willow came over to Buffy.  
“How are you holding up?”  
Buffy tore her eyes away from Giles.  
“I’m fine, thanks, same old same old.”  
Buffy shrugged in feigned nonchalance. Willow gave her a look.  
“Why don’t you show me the Christmas decorations?”  
Willow took her arm and led her out of the room.  
“How are you *really* feeling?”  
“How do you mean?”  
Willow looked a touch exasperated. She led Buffy into the study.  
“Come on, Buffy, we know you’ve liked Giles for ages, it must have been hard being separated like that for so long.”  
Buffy opened her mouth and closed it again, she had been on the verge of denying it, but Willow had spoken with such conviction that she found that she couldn’t.  
“I… Uh… Who else knows?”  
Willow rolled her eyes.  
“Come on, Buffy, how long have we known you? You don’t know someone for this long and not know when they like someone.”  
At this moment, Xander came in, carrying a bowl of bacon and maple pretzels shaped like Christmas trees.  
“What are we talking about?”  
“How Buffy and Giles like each other and they’re being stupid.” Willow answered before Buffy had a chance to say anything. Buffy looked at Willow in alarm, but Willow just shrugged and gave her a look that said ‘what?’  
“Oh, yeah, are you going to do something about that?”  
Buffy gaped at him.  
“But how do I even know he feels the same way?”  
Willow and Xander exchanged looks of amused exasperation.  
“Trust us, we do.”  
“And you don’t think the age gap is weird?” 

It was strange how many times they had had this conversation, that love was love and it would be wrong to discount someone who could have made them very happy because they don’t fit some arbitrary criteria that the world thinks they should, wrong gender, wrong age, wrong class, etc… but that was all in the hypothetical. When she thought about their social network and what they might think, it started to become a worry, even though it shouldn’t matter. They knew the same people, their group had known each other for a decade, so it wasn’t like Willow and Xander would think any less of them. Perhaps their age difference would raise a few eyebrows among people who didn’t know them so well, but she wasn’t a child anymore. If anything, the one who would feel the most dubious about their circumstances would be Giles. 

“Put it this way, if he were your age, would you still be having doubts?” Xander asked.  
Buffy thought for a moment.  
“No, I don’t think I would.”  
Willow sat back.  
“Well then.”  
“Think of it this way.” Xander said. “He’s still younger than Angel or Spike. If picking him up required a shovel, then, yes, he’d be too old, but it doesn’t so he isn’t.”  
“I suppose so.”  
“So, are you going to do anything about that?”  
Buffy thought about it.  
When all’s said and done, Giles may be older than her father, but he did look good on it. Giles was kind, smart and self-deprecating, he was a gentleman and she knew that he would never intentionally hurt her, but it was just the age gap and the fact that he was her Watcher. What would the other Slayers and Watchers think? Could they suffer professionally for it? Would people think that Giles had groomed her in some way? Would Giles be so worried by these questions that he could never return her feelings?  
“I don’t know, guys, what if people react badly to it? There’s so much working against us.”  
Willow met Buffy’s eyes.  
“Don’t think about all of that, you can’t live your life worried by what other people might think, or you’d never live your life at all.”  
Buffy nodded.  
“Thanks guys.” 

Giles came in.  
“There you are, I wondered where you’d got to.”  
“Everything alright, Giles?” Willow asked.  
“I’ve just narrowly avoided being roped into a game of strip-Uno with the other Slayers.” Giles shook his head. “I have no idea how one plays such a game, but I have no intention of finding out.”  
Xander and Willow exchanged looks.  
“We’d better sort that out.” Xander said. They got up and left the room, Willow closing the door behind them.  
Buffy and Giles remained in companionable silence for a moment. Then Giles held up the two drinks.  
“I brought you a mulled wine.”  
“Thank you, Giles.” Buffy smiled, taking the drink from him. Giles sat down next to her, their legs touched affectionately, Buffy knew better than to read anything more into it than deep, platonic affection. It was quite intimate, but a relaxed, friendly intimate, she didn’t think he was even thinking about it, he was just incredibly fond of her.  
“What shall we drink to?” He asked.  
“You realise that we’ve known each other 10 years now.” Buffy said.  
“Is it really that long?” Giles’ eyebrows raised.  
“Yeah. They’ve been a great 10 years.”  
“The best of my life.” Giles smiled. “Well, here’s to the next 10.”  
They clinked glasses and drank. Buffy watching the way Giles’ eyes closed and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. He set the glass down and turned to look at her. Buffy found her voice.  
“When I first started as a Slayer, you helped me so much. I wanted to thank you for everything.”  
“It is my pleasure, it’s something about your good self that makes people want to help you.”  
Giles smiled affectionately. Buffy felt her chest warm. 

Giles looked up.  
“When did that appear?”  
Buffy followed his gaze and saw a sprig of mistletoe attached to the lamp above them. ‘Very funny, Willow,’ she thought. She looked back to Giles and his glazed eyes drifted down to her lips, before going back to her eyes. Buffy swallowed. Neither of them could look away.  
“So. What do you want to do?” Buffy asked, her eyes not leaving his. Giles cheeks turned pink.  
“It’s up to you.”  
“Merry Christmas, Giles.”  
“Merry Christmas, Buffy.”  
Buffy moved in and Giles met her halfway. Their lips met softly, a gentle touch at first, testing the waters, then Giles leaned in again. Giles moved his lips against Buffy’s and Buffy’s hands came up to rest on Giles’ neck. Buffy tilted her head, allowing Giles to deepen the kiss. His hands came to her waist and he held on to her. Buffy sighed contentedly and they broke apart. Buffy leaned in for another quick kiss.  
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you.” Giles’ eyes twinkled with amusement as he smiled at Buffy.  
“If it’s anything like how long I’ve wanted to kiss you, then I think I know.” Buffy grinned back. Giles laughed softly and they kissed again.  
“I suppose we should rejoin the others.” Giles said, looking like he would much rather be alone with Buffy.  
“I suppose so.” Buffy said, not wanting to leave just yet. 

They stood up and held hands.  
“So, what does that mean we are now?”  
“I don’t know, but I do know that I never want to leave you again.” Giles kissed her hand and they went back into the lounge to meet the rest of the team. 

It seemed like their lives were woven together. Funny how, if people are meant to be in your life fate conspires to bring them back.


End file.
